Tafsir of Surah Al-Hadid - Verse 15

The Believers are awarded a Light on the Day of Resurrection, according to Their Good Deeds

Allah the Exalted states that the believers who spend in charity will come on the Day of Resurrection with their light preceding them in the area of the Gathering, according to the level of their good deeds. As reported from `Abdullah bin Mas`ud:

يَسْعَى نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ

(their light running forward before them), he said, "They will pass over the Sirat according to their deeds. Some of them will have a light as large as a mountain, some as a date tree, some as big as a man in the standing position. The least among them has a light as big as his index finger, it is lit at times and extinguished at other times." Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir collected this Hadith. Ad-Dahhak commented on the Ayah, "Everyone will be given a light on the Day of Resurrection. When they arrive at the Sirat, the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished. When the believers see this, they will be concerned that their light also will be extinguished, just as the light of the hypocrites was. This is when the believers will invoke Allah, `O our Lord! Perfect our light for us."' Allah's statement,

وَبِأَيْمَـنِهِم

(and in their right hands.) Ad-Dahhak said: "Their Books of Records." As Allah said:

فَمَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـبَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ

(So whosoever is given his record in his right hand.)(17:71) Allah said,

بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّـتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ

(Glad tidings for you this Day! Gardens under which rivers flow,) meaning, it will be said to them, "Receive glad tidings this Day, of gardens beneath which rivers flow,

خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ

(to dwell therein forever!), you will remain therein forever,"

ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

(Truly, this is the great success!)

The Condition of the Hypocrites on the Day of Resurrection

Allah said,

يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ وَالْمُنَـفِقَـتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ

(On the Day when the hypocrites men and women will say to the believers: "Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!") Allah informs us in this Ayah of the terrible horrors, horrendous incidents and tremendous events that will take place on the Day of Resurrection in the Gathering Area. No one will be saved on that Day, except those who believed in Allah and His Messenger, obeyed Allah's commands and avoided His prohibitions. Al-`Awfi, Ad-Dahhak and others reported from Ibn `Abbas: "When the people are gathering in darkness, Allah will send light, and when the believers see the light they will march towards it. This light will be their guide from Allah to Paradise. When the hypocrites see the believers following the light, they will follow them. However, Allah will extinguish the light for the hypocrites and they will say (to the believers),

انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ

(Wait for us! Let us get something from your light.) The believers will reply by saying,

ارْجِعُواْ وَرَآءَكُمْ

`(Go back to your rear!) to the dark area you were in, and look for a light there!"' Allah said,

فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَـهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ

(So, a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment.) Al-Hasan and Qatadah said that the wall mentioned here is located between Paradise and Hellfire. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that the wall mentioned in this Ayah is the wall that Allah described in His statement,

وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ

(And between them will be a (barrier) screen.)(7:46) Similar was reported from Mujahid and others, and it is correct. Allah said,

بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ

(Inside it will be mercy,) meaning, Paradise and all that is in it,

وَظَـهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ

(and outside it will be torment.) meaning, the Hellfire, according to Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and others. Allah said,

يُنَـدُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ

((The hypocrites) will call the believers: "Were we not with you") meaning, the hypocrites will call out to the believers saying, "Were we not with you in the life of the world, attending Friday prayers and congregational prayers Did we not stand with you on Mount `Arafah (during Hajj), participate in battle by your side and perform all types of acts of worship with you"

قَالُواْ بَلَى

(The believers will reply: "Yes!...") The believers will answer the hypocrites by saying, "Yes, you were with us,

وَلَـكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنتُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَارْتَبْتُمْ وَغرَّتْكُمُ الاٌّمَانِىُّ

(But you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward to our destruction; and you doubted (in faith) and you were deceived by false hopes,) " Qatadah said,

وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ

(you looked forward to destruction), "Of the truth and its people."

وَارْتَبْتُمْ

(and you doubted,) that Resurrection occurs after death,

وَغرَّتْكُمُ الاٌّمَانِىُّ

(and you were deceived by false hopes,) meaning: you said that you will be forgiven your sins; or, they say it means: this life deceived you;

حَتَّى جَآءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ

(till the command of Allah came to pass.) meaning: you remained on this path until death came to you,

وَغَرَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ

(And the deceiver deceived you in regard to Allah.) `the deceiver' being Shaytan. Qatadah said, "They were deceived by Ash-Shaytan. By Allah! They remained deceived until Allah cast them into Hellfire." The meaning here is that the believers will answer the hypocrites by saying, "You were with us in bodies which were heartless and devoid of intentions. You were cast in doubt and suspicion. You were showing off for people and remembered Allah, little." Mujahid commented, "The hypocrites were with the believers in this life, marrying from among each other, yet betraying them even when they were associating with them. They were dead. They will both be given a light on the Day of Resurrection, but the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished when they reach the wall; this is when the two camps separate and part!" Allah's statement,

مَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ

(Your abode is the Fire.) means, the Fire is your final destination and to it will be your return for residence,

هِىَ مَوْلَـكُمْ

(That is your protector,) meaning, it is the worthy shelter for you rather than any other residence, because of your disbelief and doubt, and how evil is the Fire for Final Destination.

يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا انظُرُ‌ونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِ‌كُمْ (...the Day when the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believe, "Wait for us, so that we may have a share from your light...(57:13) The meaning is self-evident.

قِيلَ ارْ‌جِعُوا وَرَ‌اءَكُمْ فَالْتَمِسُوا نُورً‌ا (...it will be said [ to them ], "Go back to your rear, and search for light ....57:13) This reply will be given by either the believers, or by the angels. [ Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and Qatadah (رح) ]

فَضُرِ‌بَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ‌ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّ‌حْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُ‌هُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ (...Then a wall will be placed between them, which will have a gate. In its inner side, there will be the Divine mercy, while towards its outer side, there will be the Divine punishment...57:13). Having received the reply from either the believers or the angels, the hypocrites will return to the place where the light was distributed. They will find nothing there, so they will attempt to go back to the believers but in the meantime a wall will be set up between the hypocrites and the believers. As a result, the hypocrites will be separated from the believers and will not be able to reach them. They will be left in complete darkness. On the side of the believers there will be Allah's mercy while on the side of the hypocrites there will be chastisement.

Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani cites Ibn Zaid's view that this wall refers to A` raf, which will be a barrier between the believers and the hypocrites. Other commentators express the view that the wall is not the barrier of A'raf, but it is some other wall or barrier. The door in the wall could serve one of two purposes: [ 1] It will be a way through which the believers and the hypocrites will communicate with one another; or [ 2] all the believers will pass through this door and then sealed off permanently.

Special Note

In the matter of light, the infidels are not mentioned anywhere, because in their case there is no question of having such a light. The hypocrites are, however, mentioned and there are two narrations concerning them: [ 1] That they will not receive light at all from the outset; or [ 2] They will receive it at first, but when they arrive at the Bridge of Sirat, it will be extinguished. A wall will be erected as a barrier between them and the believers. This goes to show that only the believers will cross the Bridge of Sirat from above the Hell. The infidels and pagans will not pass through the Bridge. They will be pushed into the Fire direct through the doors of Hell. The sinful believers, who will be kept in the Hell for a while to be cleansed of their sins, will fall into the Hell while crossing the Bridge. The rest of the believers will cross the bridge safely and enter Paradise, as explicitly stated by Shah ` Abdul-Qadir Dehlawi (رح) and supported by Durr. Allah knows best!

While Islam was still unfamiliar, accepting it meant putting oneself through a great trial. At that time, the truth of Islam was veiled in doubt. Spending for Islam at that time was like giving a loan to somebody with flimsy hopes of getting any return. The atmosphere was pervaded by doubt and hesitation. As compared to the promises of God, the benefits right before people appear more certain to them. Under these circumstances, surrendering one’s life and property for the cause of Islam requires a very strong decision-making ability. At such a time, only one who has the capacity to recognise the reality of things through wisdom and insight, has the courage to progress in the right direction. For those who prove to have this insight in the world, it will become easy on the Day of Judgement; by making use of their insight, they will be able to pass more easily through the difficult stages there. The insight which had become their guide in this world will, by the grace of God, serve as a guide also in the Hereafter.